H. J. de Blij:
Whatever happened to geographic literacy?
I was the son of a father who managed throughout his life to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. As a result my determination to be a geographer grew ever stronger.” Thus began H.J. de Blij’s lecture, a good indicator of the knowing humor and passion for geography the audience was about to enjoy. de Blij’s brief but extraordinary history began in nazi-occupied Holland, his home country. His family moved after the war to South Africa “the day the government promulgated apartheid,” he said. From there his family moved to Mozambique the week rebels there exploded their first bombs. de Blij brought his parents to Benton Harbor, MI. After this brief historical introduction, de Blij moved on to his true passion: geography.
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James Skillen
In Celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Creative Justice
On Monday, Jan. 19.on Monday, Jan. 19, January Series attendees found out how arts and justice tie together. James Skillen, president of the Center for Public Justice in Washington, D.C., spoke on “Creative Justice” in celebration of Martin Luther King Day. Skillen, public speaker and author of many books, began his talk by playing three pieces of African-American music: “Black Beauty” by Duke Ellington, “Lazy River” by Louie Armstrong and “Elijah Rock” by Mahalia Jackson.
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Rod Englert
Crime Scenes: How We Can Tell What Isn't So
Crime Scene Analyst Rod Englert began his lecture giving the audience several means by which to understand how much crime costs the United States, in excess of $400 billion dollars a year. “If you were allowed to spend what crime is costing us at $10 million a day, you could not do it in your lifetime. It would take 109 years,” he said, then quipped, “but my wife could do it.”
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Jean Kilbourne
Can't Buy My Love: How Advertising Corrupts Relationships
Although Jean Kilbourne has appeared in the January Series’ roster numerous times, even as recently as last year, her lecture still managed to draw a full house with many overflow rooms on Wednesday afternoon. Internationally recognized for her groundbreaking work on advertising and its effects, especially on women, Kilbourne has twice been named “Lecturer of the Year” by the National Association of Campus Activities. She has also produced a number of documentaries on advertising and is a well-known author.
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S. Fredrick Starr
What's Really Going on in Afghanistan, Central Asia, Pakistan, etc.?
When Fred Starr came to the January Series in 1997, his topic was "How Central is Central Asia?" During that lecture, he made the brash (at that time) claim that world focus would soon shift to Central Asia. His predictions came vividly true after the events of September 11, 2001 and the ensuing U.S. military campaign against the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. Starr emphasized throughout his lecture that world attention should continue to be focused on Central Asia, precisely because of its centrality.
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